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Indigenous Knowledge and Folk Use of Medicinal Plants in the Eastern Hajar Mountains, Oman

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Indigenous Knowledge and Folk Use of Medicinal Plants in the Eastern Hajar Mountains, Oman Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies 2020; 8(4): 104-110 ISSN (E): 2320-3862 ISSN (P): 2394-0530 Indigenous knowledge and folk use of medicinal NAAS Rating: 3.53 www.plantsjournal.com plants in the Eastern Hajar Mountains, Oman JMPS 2020; 8(4): 104-110 © 2020 JMPS Received: 10-05-2020 Accepted: 12-06-2020 Abdulrahman AL Hinai, Darach A Lupton and Ghudaina Al Issai Abdulrahman AL Hinai Abstract Department of Botany and The history of traditional plant uses in Oman stretches back over millennia. However, little detail relating Conservation, Oman Botanic to the species and their uses has been documented. Here we focus on documenting medicinal plant Garden, PO Box 808, PC 122, species and their applications in the Eastern Hajar Mountains in northern Oman. 107 plant species, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, Oman belonging to 50 plant families were recorded as having one or more medicinal uses. Gastro-intestinal disorders such as colic, diarrhea, and constipation were the most cited ailments treated using traditional Darach A Lupton plant-based medicines. Other conditions include eye disorders; cardiovascular and circulatory diseases; Department of Botany and dental; dermatological diseases; ENT; fever; headache (diaphoretic); genital and sexual diseases; nerve Conservation, Oman Botanic disorders; respiratory problems; skeletal-muscular problems; snake and scorpion bites, and urinary Garden, PO Box 808, PC 122, complaints. Rhazay stricta Decne. is the most widely used plant species. Many of the surveyed plants are Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, common, widely distributed throughout the area; 4 plants are endemic to Oman; 9 are regionally Oman endemic, and 3 rare and threatened. Ghudaina Al Issai Keywords: Oman, medicinal plants, traditional knowledge, Eastern Hajar Mountains Department of Botany and Conservation, Oman Botanic Garden, Oman Introduction The use of plants for medicinal purposes has been recorded as far back as the first documentation of human history. In the Arabian Peninsula the use of plants goes back to the pre-Islamic civilizations [1]. Today plant extracts make up 25% of the active ingredients in all pharmaceutical products Globally, it is observed that communities living in remote areas, are the most reliant on traditional plant based and that this knowledge held by those communities [2] could be utilized to produce modern medicines . Despite Oman’s long history of seafaring and trading, it remained closed and isolated for much of its history, particularly in the remote mountain areas in the north. People in these areas have relied on plants to meet their primary health care needs for centuries. Following the discovery of oil and the subsequent opening up of Oman in 1970, there was a rapid expansion of hospitals and clinics throughout the country; with this came a reliance on pharmaceuticals and a move away from traditional plant based medicine [1]. The number of medicinal plants in Oman is estimated to be 448 [3]. Several studies on traditional plants in Oman have been carried out [4 5], however, the Eastern Hajar Mountains have thus far remained understudied. Here we undertake a survey to identify and document plant species used in traditional medicine in the Eastern Hajar Mountains. Species referred to in the past tense are either no longer used or are not widely used today; species in the present tense are still utilized by the inhabitants. Study area The Eastern Hajar Mountains is one of three mountain ranges making up the extensive Hajar mountains system, which extends north-west to the Musandam Mountains at the northern tip of Oman (figure 1). The study area is characterised by a hyper-arid climate, with cold, dry winters and hot summers [6]. Generally, the mountain climate is significantly cooler than lower elevations, with an annual average air temperature of 18.1 °C (a minimum of 3.6 °C and a Corresponding Author: maximum of about 36 °C). Annual rainfall for the mountains is 120mm. The area is Abdulrahman AL Hinai characterized by deep wadi systems, spectacular caves, and peaks. These peaks include Jabal Department of Botany and Bani Jabir, Jabal Aswad, Jabal Abyad, Jabal Tayeen and Jabal Qahwan. According to [7], these Conservation, Oman Botanic mountains comprise of 431 plant species (31% of the total country’s flora). Garden, PO Box 808, PC 122, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, Politically the Eastern Hajar Mountains are situated in the Al Sharqiya governorate, south west Oman of Oman’s capital city Muscat. ~ 104 ~ Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies http://www.plantsjournal.com Most of the inhabitants of the Eastern Hajar are pastoralists – Results and Discussion relying largely on goats for their income and sustenance. In Plant selection and parts used in folk medicine some locations terraced agriculture - growing grains and root preparations. vegetables persists, providing additional income for local A total 37 villages were visited throughout the Eastern Hajar people. However, an increasing scarcity of rain in recent Mountains; 44 individual and group interviews were carried decades has meant that this form of agriculture is becoming out. 53 males, ranging in age from 45 to 85 and 4 females, less pragmatic. Beekeeping and honey production are also an ranging in age from 55 to 90 were interviewed. In some important source of income, although they too have instances, the age was an estimate as many of the diminished in recent times. Since the 1970s there has been a interviewees did not know their exact date of birth. 107 plant steady migration of people from the Eastern Hajar Mountains species belonging to 50 plant families were recorded as to the cities to take up employment; further impacting the having medicinal use in the Eastern Hajar Mountains. 37 local economy, social fabric, and the preservation of (36%) medicinal plants are shrubs, followed by herbs - 36 traditional knowledge. (32%), tress - 10 (28%), herb/shrub - 10 (%), shrub/tree - 9 (8%), ferns - 2 (4%), bulbs - 2 and succulents - 3 (1%) (Figure 2). With exception of flowers, all plant parts including leaves, fronds, stems, bark, roots, fruits, bulbs, and seeds are used by traditional healers (Figure 3). Choosing appropriate plant parts is dependent on the plant species and the medical condition being treated. For herbs and bulbs, the whole plant is used. Shrubs and trees are usually separated into their constituent parts; leaves are used in 60 (56%) of the 107 documented species; followed by whole plant - 37 (34%) roots – 23 (21%), stems - 14 (13%), fruit - 10 (9%), sap - 8 (7%) and seeds - 7 (6%) (Figure 3). The predominant use of leaves in preparations, according to the interviewees is due to their abundance and availability. The common use of leaves in the preparation of remedies is also reported by [13, 14]. Fig 1: Oman located on the south-eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. The Eastern Hajar Mountains (right) extend south-east from Oman’s capital, Muscat. Methodology Field work took place from 2015 to 2019. Data relating to the medicinal use of wild plants were gathered from across the Eastern Hajar Mountains, including foothills, and adjacent Fig 2: Breakdown of plant forms used in the preparation of herbal coastal areas of both Northern and Southern Al Sharqiyah medicines. governorates and the eastern part of A’ Dhakiliah governorate. Pre-prepared, semi-structured interview questions (in Arabic) were presented to all interviewees. Interviewee selection gave priority to village elders and local herbalists. Full disclosure, explaining the purpose of the interviews was provided to all interviewees. Interviews started with informal introductory conversations with individuals and groups. Repeated interviews and visits were conducted when required. Answers were recorded in script and audio (Sony ICDUX512). Where permitted video recordings of interviews were made (Canon SX200IS). Identification and documentation of botanical names, including family, genus and species and life form were verified using, [8-12], and voucher specimens from the Oman Botanic Garden herbarium (OM). Local plant names were verified by multiple interviewees prior to documentation; names were Fig 3: Plant parts used in the preparation of herbal medicines. transliterated from Arabic to English. All data, including written, audio and video were collated and stored at Oman Medical conditions treated with traditional folk medicine. Botanic Garden. Data including family, scientific name, local A total of 50 species are used to treat gastro-intestinal name(s), life form, flowering season, parts used, medicinal disorders such as colic, flatulence, diarrhea, constipation and application, and conservation status were recorded and stomach ulcers; 49 - species are used for the treatment of tabulated. wounds, cuts, anticancer, goiter, and a general tonic; 37 - ~ 105 ~ Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies http://www.plantsjournal.com species are used to treat skeletal-muscular problems such as most cited plant family - 14 plant species are used for herbal rheumatism, backache and general muscle pain; 37 - species medicines; followed by Apocynaceae and Lamiaceae with 9 are used to treat cardiovascular complaints and circulatory and 7 species respectively (Table 2). Most documented plants diseases including diabetes and blood pressure; 35 - for have multiple medicinal uses; it is rare for a plant to have a dermatological diseases; 27 - to treat fever, headaches and single use. A variety of substances purchased in local markets excessive sweating; 26 - for snake and scorpion bites; 22 - for are frequently blended with plant materials to produce a nerve disorders; 20 - for eye disorders; 15 - for respiratory medicinal preparation, including water, salt, goat’s milk, ailments like asthma and coughing; 15 - for ear, nose and sulfur, animal hair, rose water, saffron, ghee, dried sardines, throat (ENT) complaints; 11 - for urinary complaints red sandalwood, wolf gallbladder, crow gallbladder, egg including dysuria and kidney stones; 11 - for genital and white, honey and squid ink. 75 (70%) of the cited plants are sexual diseases, and 10 - species for dental problems (Table common and widely distributed throughout the Eastern Hajar 1).
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